Shloka 61
अथान्तरिक्षे नादो<भूद् द्रोणं तत्र प्रशंसताम् दुष्करं कृतवान् द्रोणो यदर्जुनमयोधयत्,इसी समय आचार्य द्रोणकी प्रशंसा करनेवाले देवताओंका यह शब्द आकाशमें गूँज उठा--'अहो! द्रोणाचार्यने बड़ा दुष्कर कार्य किया कि अबतक अर्जुनके साथ युद्धमें डटे रह गये। ये अर्जुन तो शत्रुओंको मथ डालनेवाले, महापराक्रमी, दृढ़ मुष्टिवाले, दुर्धर्ष तथा सम्पूर्ण देवताओं और दैत्योंको जीतनेवाले महारथी वीर हैं"
athāntarikṣe nādo 'bhūd droṇaṃ tatra praśaṃsatām | duṣkaraṃ kṛtavān droṇo yad arjunam ayodhayat ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Just then a voice resounded in the sky, spoken by those who were praising Droṇa: “Ah! Droṇa has accomplished a most difficult feat—that he has stood firm in battle and fought Arjuna.” The utterance highlights both Arjuna’s overwhelming prowess and the extraordinary steadiness required of a teacher-warrior like Droṇa to face such a foe without yielding.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical weight of steadfastness in one’s role: Droṇa’s endurance against an exceptionally powerful opponent is praised as a rare accomplishment. It also reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring theme that true merit in war is not mere victory, but disciplined resolve and the capacity to meet daunting duty without collapse.
As the battle context intensifies, a celestial proclamation is heard praising Droṇa for continuing to engage Arjuna in combat. The narrative uses this ‘voice in the sky’ to magnify Arjuna’s might and, by contrast, to elevate Droṇa’s valor for holding his ground against him.